15 Guilt-Free Mug Cake Recipes

For those of us with a relentless sweet tooth, it can be a struggle: You just finished a delicious, filling meal, but there’s still something in you begging for a sweet treat. Baking up a whole batch of brownies, cupcakes or cookies is never convenient and takes too much time. Solution? Microwaved mug cakes! But beware — they’re often packed with heaps of butter and added sugar. Luckily, there are ways around using too much of these ingredients. We’ve scoured the Interwebs and found these 15 healthier mug cake recipes.

15 Delicious Mug Cake Recipes

1. Chocolate Hazelnut Mug CakeChocolate hazelnut spread mixed with a healthier tablespoon of applesauce flavors this recipe. Plus, it can easily be made gluten-free by swapping in an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Jazz it up even more by adding chopped hazelnuts or chocolate chips before serving. Photo and recipe: Gina / Running to the Kitchen

4. Cinnamon Roll Mug CakeWhen you’re craving a classic cinnamon roll but don’t have time to whip up a batch of your own dough, this three-minute mug cake does the trick. If you want to cut down on sugar, use this reduced brown sugar recipe, or halve the ingredient in both the cake and glaze. The texture will be a bit different, but it will still taste decadent! Photo and recipe: Jaclyn / Cooking Classy

5. 5-Minute Carrot Cake for One
If that carrot cake craving is kicking in hard, the measuring, mixing and mashing is well worth it for this dessert. Instead of grated fresh carrot, the recipe calls for canned carrots that are then pureed into the batter. (If you don’t have any on hand, pumpkin purée stands in just fine.) Slather the finished product with some Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting and enjoy. Photo and recipe: Katie / Chocolate Covered Katie

8. Oatmeal Nutella Mug CakeOats and pecans combine to make a concoction that’s made rich and indulgent by placing a dollop of Nutella in the center. An extra bit of baking powder and skipping out on egg keeps it light and fluffy. Not into Nutella? Try nut butter or cooked fruit instead. Photo and recipe: Faith Durand / The Kitchn

9. Nutella Mug Cake
Almond meal helps make this indulgence tender, nutty and delicious. Egg, nutella, vanilla extract and chocolate or peanut butter chips are the only other things you need. The result is a fudgy treat you don’t have to feel bad about loving. Photo and recipe: Kiran / Kiran Tarun

10. Paleo Mug Cake
Ready in four minutes! Coconut and almond flours prep a base while egg holds everything together. Add some maple syrup and vanilla extract for sweetness and throw on some chocolate chips. Photo and recipe: Liz / Paleo on a Budget

11. Banana Almond Mug Cake
Just a third of a cup of mashed banana sweetens the deal here (and that goes into the batter for four cakes!). Coconut flour and almond flour offer a healthy dose of fiber and protein. One of these cakes contains only 94 calories but five grams of protein — not bad for dessert! Photo and recipe: Melissa Sevigny / I Breathe… I’m Hungry…

12. Peanut Butter Microwave Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Peanut flour is the secret ingredient here. The high-fiber ingredient is also packed with protein, but is still low in fat. One cake packs 24 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and only eight grams of sugar. This recipe calls for a peanut butter topping, but fruit, jam or a drizzle of maple syrup are options as well. Photo and recipe: Jessica/ Desserts with Benefits

13. Avocado Mug CakeThere’s no artificial coloring in this neon green cake — that’s all avocado, baby! The recipe does call for quite a bit of sugar — four and a half tablespoons to be exact — but feel free to substitute in Stevia or cut back on the sweetener altogether. Experiment to find out what works for you. Photo and recipe: Kirbie’s Cravings

15. High-Protein Tart Cherry Nutty Mug Cake
This cherry-filled mug looks almost more like a fruit buckle… but it’s much healthier. Powdered peanut butter and vanilla protein powder make up it’s bulk, while almond butter, honey and milk moisten the batter and help keep it tender. Add a small handful of frozen cherries before nuking for about two minutes, and they’ll be perfectly plump and juicy when time runs out. Top with whipped cream, Greek yogurt or ice cream. Photo and recipe: Regan Jones RD / Healthy Aperture